Charles Ellicott Commentary Genesis 22:1

"And it came to pass after these things, that God did prove Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham. And he said, Here am I." — Genesis 22:1 (ASV)

God did tempt Abraham. —Hebrew, proved him, put his faith and obedience to the test. For twenty-five years the patriarch had wandered in Palestine and seen the fulfilment of the promise perpetually deferred, and yet his faith did not fail. Finally, the long-wished-for heir was born, and, except for the grievous pain of parting with Ishmael, all went well with him and seemed to indicate a calm and happy old age.

He was at peace with his neighbours, had quiet possession of ample pasture for his cattle, knew that Ishmael was prosperous, and saw Isaac fast approaching manhood (Genesis 22:12). Nevertheless, in the midst of this tranquil evening of his days came the severest trial of all, for he was commanded to slay his son. The trial was twofold. First, human sacrifice was abhorrent to the nature of Jehovah, and Abraham’s clear duty would be to test the command.

Could such a deed really be required of him by God? Now, no subjective proof would be sufficient. In later times, many Israelites were moved by deep religious fanaticism to give their firstborn in the hope of appeasing God's anger for their sin (Micah 6:7); but instead of peace, it brought only a deeper condemnation upon their souls.

If Abraham had been moved only by an internal and subjective impulse, his conduct would have deserved and met with similar condemnation. But when, upon examination, he became convinced that the command came from outside himself, and from the same God with whom he had so often spoken on former occasions, then the precedents in his own life required obedience from him. Yet even when convinced of this, there was, second, the trial of his faith.

A command that he had tested, not only subjectively by prayer but also objectively by comparison with the manner of previous revelations, ordered him with his own hand to destroy the son in whom his seed was to be called. His love for his child, his previous faith in the promise, the religious value and worth of Isaac as the appointed means for the blessing of all mankind—this, and more, stood arrayed against the command.

But Abraham, in spite of all, obeyed, and in proportion to the greatness of the trial was the greatness of the reward. Until this time, his faith had been proved by patience and endurance, but now he himself was commanded to destroy the fruit of so many years of patient waiting (Hebrews 11:17–19). Assured that the command came from God, he did not waver.

Thus, by trial, his own faith was made perfect, and for Isaac too there was blessing. Meekly, as suited the type of Christ, he submitted to his father’s will, and the life restored to him was from then on dedicated to God.

But there was a higher purpose in the command than the spiritual good of these two saints. The sacrifice had as its purpose the instruction of the whole Church of God. If the act had possessed no typical value, it would have been difficult for us to reconcile with our consciences a command that might have seemed, indirectly at least, to have authorised human sacrifices. But in it was the setting forth of the mystery of the Father giving the Son to die for the sins of the world; and in this lies both the value and the justification of Abraham’s conduct and of the Divine command.